Counterfeited Love
by Counterfeiting Shakespeare
Summary: Kou Seiya is back and is out to prove that 'fake' love is just as satisfying as the real thing. But someone begged to disagree and now its a full pledged war of clashing hearts.
1. Chapter 1

**_AN_**_: **First**, to my readers whom have read my other stories, this is a **Kou Seiya fic**. No Mamoru bashing, I'm afraid (to those who are expecting one) because I am a pacifist (No, really, I truly hate fighting!) and I happen to love the guy. So, if you want Mamoru-Usagi, stick to my other stories. After all, there are nearly five of them, with two drabble series. Okay? Cool? Peace? _

_Okay, now for **THE SUMMARY**: _

Set four years after the Stars Series, Kou Seiya and his comrades, Yaten and Taiki was asked by Her Majesty, Queen Kaikyu to return to Earth and extend an alliance that the Empire wished to form with the would be rulers of Neo-Crystal Tokyo.

With such an important mission, Seiya, leader of the Imperial Guards, the StarLights, was under strict orders to be at his most cordial and polite self when dealing with Tsukino Usagi and Chiba Mamoru.

So, what was a guy who had been burned by love before to do?

Whatever it was, it most definitely would not be to fall in love again. Been there and done that, after all.

At least, that was what he thought…

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_"Do you ever stop loving someone to whom you have given so much?" _

**Counterfeited Love **

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_-Does not always mean it could never become real…-_

He could no longer remember how many bottles of Spanish rum he had consumed, but judging from the disapproving look that the bartender kept giving him, it was plenty.

It wasn't plenty enough, though.

Kou Seiya needed more.

Because he could still feel the bitterness of seeing her in the arms of her destined lover had left in him. The first day, too. What were the odds?

According to Taiki the odds were incredibly slim, with a probability of one over three thousand four hundred and eight. Lady luck was most definitely not with him because he did see her the first day and yes, _he_ was with her.

"Fuck that," he said aloud, as if in doing so, he could convince himself he truly did not care anymore.

The bar man gave him a sympathetic glance and decided the timing was right to play the role of confidant. The young man before him obviously needed someone to talk to. "Something wrong, buddy?" he asked.

Seiya gave the balding man a look of bored interest, lips pinched tight to show he was not falling for the buddy-want-to-talk routine. Instead, he held up the recent bottle he had been drinking from, and indicated he wanted another one.

The bartender sighed, and reached for another vintage bottle. Normally, he would have asked to see the dough, seeing as the customer was only in his early teens, but the arrogant air around the boy was the air of one who knew luxury and lots of it. Besides, only the very stupid or the very rich would order an expensive bottle like this. The boy with the jet black hair and cobalt blue eyes was most definitely _not_ stupid looking.

Seth watched with grim satisfaction as another bottle was placed before him. He wasn't really surprised he was obeyed. He was used to being obeyed – not counting Yaten's moments of brattiness – and there would have been hell to pay had he been denied his order.

He was used to getting what he wanted.

He was used to getting whom he wanted.

'_What Seiya wants, Seiya gets_,' was Taiki's common litany about him. It goes to say that the same applied to Yaten, but Yaten was not weighed with the torture Seiya lived with every day for nearly four years now.

And this torture was a memory of a girl with long blonde hair and the warmest shine he had ever encountered.

She was the reason why he was in that smoke filled bar, a cigar clamped in his sensual lips, when all he really wanted to do was lay down and cry.

He clenched his jaw, a look of pain briefly flashing on the surface of his eyes, before he opened the bottle in his hand and not bothering to pour himself a shot, drank the whole thing nearly halfway in one long gulp.

The bartender, now safely away from his customer, shook his head in wonder. '_Poor bastard is bound to get the worst hangover tomorrow_,' he thought.

Which was what Seth was pretty much hoping for, after all. That and getting drunk enough to dull the pain of not being good enough for Tsukino Usagi, the blonde angel who was unwittingly dragged into his life four years ago and taught him what it felt to finally not get what he wanted for the first time.

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The room was spinning.

Seiya groggily shook his head and tried to focus his line of vision. Before him, four bartenders who looked suspiciously alike swam before him before they merged and became twins. '_Huh?_' he thought.

"You okay, sir?" Seiya heard the two men spoke to him. He focused himself more, berating his discipline and for a moment, the fog in his mind cleared and he saw there was only one man before him. Lips drawn into a semblance of a smile, he gave the man a wad of money and saluted, not even bothering to wait for the change.

That would have been uncool.

And Seiya was the epitome of cool.

He drunkenly swayed the length of the floor, intent on getting to the exit, when a vision appeared before him.

The vision had blonde hair and blue eyes and Seiya's mind told him she was someone he should know. He saw she was saying something to him, but he was so focused on trying to make out her features, he couldn't understand a single word she had said.

Sun-kissed hair and baby blue eyes.

The young woman had sun-kissed hair and baby blue eyes.

_'Sun-kissed hair and baby blue eyes_,' repeated Seiya's inner voice as the young man tried to fight unconsciousness and the need to sleep on the dirty floor of that seedy joint and snore away to lala land.

_'Usagi_,' he thought drunkenly. After all, who else did he know who had blonde hair and those eye color? Without warning, he took the young woman in his arms and proceeded to give her a kiss meant to turn her bones to mush.

He felt her stiffen at first, until his expert lips slowly broke down her defenses and she started responding. When he slowly moved his hands to her side, gently brushing the back of his hands daringly close to her breasts, she whimpered in response.

It was a surprise, then, when the world burst in brilliant flashes of color and he doubled over in pain, his two hands abruptly letting go of his captive to hold his abused manhood. '_The bitch kicked me!_' he thought, mind going blank for a minute as a new wave of hurt assaulted him in the one place where the _'sun didn't shine'_. Sometimes, being a man could be a real pain. '_She freaking kicked me on the gro-' _

"That," said the young woman, her voice sweetly laced with grim satisfaction, "was for acting like a complete jerk, Kou Seiya."

With a snarl, he raised his eyes, so that he was eye to eye with the narrowed gaze of-

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**_A/N_**_: The end. NYAHAHAHAHA. _

_Don't hit me! _


	2. Chapter 2

**_A/N_**_: disclaimers, since I forgot to put one on the first chapter. **Sailor Moon, not mine. I'll stand by this disclaimer all the way to the bitter (or lovely) end.**_

_On with the story…_

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**Counterfeited Love**

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'_It was the lover, not the love that failed you.'_

_1, tic, 2, toc, 3, tic, 4, toc, 5, tic-_

'_OHMYGOD! I'm being kissed by Seiya! SEIYA!_' Was the thought ringing in her head as she stood shell- shocked in the arms of the young man, his lips tasting bittersweet because of the brew he had just been drinking.

_6, toc, 7, tic, 8, toc, 9, tic, 10, toc-_

'_He's goooo-o-o-d-d-d….'_ She could feel her body slowly turning into mush, legs loosing the ability to hold her upright. Her arms, understanding the situation, promptly went to his broad shoulders for support.

_11, tic, 12, toc, 13, tic, 14, toc, 15, tic, 16, toc, 18, tic, 19, toc-_

'_I…need…to breathe…need…ai,_' her thoughts were cut short when a delicious shiver went up her spine as his warm hands made slow circles on her back. When the movements slowly inched to her sides, the trembling increased two folds and she gripped his shoulder with one hand, the other going to his hair to grasp Seiya's head closer to her.

_20, tic, 21, toc, 22, tic, 23, toc, 24, tic, 25, toc, 26,ti-_

'_Was that his…(Air, must breathe)…OH! That felt…rather nice…'_ the ability to form coherent thought left her completely as the kiss became devoid of tenderness and deepened into burning passion. She felt the back of Seiya's hands brush the sides of her breasts. It felt delicious. Sweet torture. Being kissed by Kou Seiya was sweet torture.

_27, toc, 28, tic, 29, toc, 30, tic, 31, t-_

Her body, realising the danger that not being able to breathe life giving oxygen would cause, kicked common sense awake and waited for the result.

'_You do know it's not you whom he thinks he is kissing, right?'_ her common sense asked. _'Because, we wouldn't want another repeat performance of that Allan thingy that happened in England…Right?'_

That reminder was enough to put her on defensive. But when common sense flashed back scenes of what happened that faithful day, as she lay battered and bleeding in a dark alleyway, her blue eyes wide with disbelief as she watched her best friend, and her boyfriend, admitted their love for each other, she went on offensive.

_32, tic, 33, toc, 34, tic-_

"Holy fuck!" Seiya howled, as a swift and very accurate kick was delivered to his family jewels.

Aino Minako stood, gasping for air, her mind still a bit dazed by that mind blowing kiss. She consciously straightened her black silk slip dress, and gave the manager of the bar an assuring smile. "Lover's quarrel" Minako called out.

The manager, a woman in her early forty's gave Minako a sly wink and said, "No need to explain, honey, I've seen worse. Demo, are you sure you needed to do that? Such a shame really…" the words ended suggestively and left the blonde blushing a beet red.

Her blue eyes watched Seiya still doubled over in pain, his ponytail falling down on one shoulder, the leather jacket he was wearing not quite hiding his gorgeous physique.

'_Kou Seiya, leader of the Star Lights, kissed me,'_ Mina thought with growing wonder. Her subconscious disagreed. _'Nope. You were kissing him. He was kissing Usagi.'_

That hurt.

Eyes narrowing, she bent her body to tell him, "That was for acting like a complete jerk, Kou Seiya." Her hot breath hissed with venom near his left ear.

An excited chatter from the exit caused the two of them to look to the left. Usagi and Yaten were deep in discussion, Taiki himself just about to enter the bar, all three sporting happy faces.

Aino Minako stood up straight and gave her friends a somewhat wooden grin. "Found him," she said, pointing to the still doubled over Kou Seiya.

Yaten frowned, his silvery blue eyes first going over Minako's rigid stance to his leader's scowl. "What the hell happened to you?" he asked the man.

Seiya did his best to straighten up but a burst of pain almost had him gasping for air. He gave Minako a look of pure hatred, the blue in them promising torture once they were alone.

Minako saw him look at her with hatred in his eyes, but not really sure she wanted to lock stares with the man that very moment; she then made a bee line to the powder room. Common sense told her to hide, so hide she would.

Common sense had saved Minako a lot of time in the past. Blondes were not always fluff and air - especially if the blonde in question happened to be leader of an elite and ancient line of Guardians.

And certainly if the blonde in question happened to play a major role in protecting an equally powerful and elite Moon Princess.

Tsukino Usagi.

The girl who held in her baby hands the Imperium Silver Crystal, Chiba Mamoru's undying love, and Kou Seiya's endless devotion and fascination. Apparently, four years of not seeing the Moon Warrior had not diminished Seiya's affection for the blonde.

The same blonde who followed her to the bathroom and asked this question:

"You okay, Mina-chan?"

Minako stared at the sweet face of her princess, her leader, her charge and her best friend. Despite the white light of the fluorescent high above them, Usagi's golden colouring was able to create a soothing sight. The deep gold of her hair was still held up in their usual style and her cerulean blue eyes were still bright and friendly.

She had never looked more beautiful.

'_Do I really look like her?_' Minako thought. '_People always said we have such similar features.'_

Disbelieving, she gave her reflection a once over. Yes, there was a very strong resemblance between her and the Moon Princess. Her hair was a lighter gold, more wheat gold than the antique gold of Usagi's hair, but in certain angles, the hue was a similar shade.

Her eyes were lighter, too. Not as azure as Usagi's but a more delicate shade of corn flower blue. Their features had slight differences, with Usagi's looking more elfin but there was no denying that they did look similar. Even the expression on their face at that very moment was similar.

"Mina?" Usagi called softly.

Her call startled Minako and she gave Usagi a look of a cornered prey, before calm took over. She flashed a gamine smile to her friend. "I'm fine, Usa-chan. Why would you ask, anyway?"

Usagi raised a golden brow, and Minako stored the movement for later reflection. '_Do we raise our brows the same way, too? I need to check when I am alone_,' she thought.

"You hightailed out of there so fast that it was like demons were after you," said Usagi.

Minako shrugged, as if the observation bore no real weight and therefore unimportant. Usagi narrowed her eyes a bit more, before she nodded a little. Inwardly, Minako sighed in relief. The four years that the Three Lights/ Star Lights have left for their home planet had been the four years when Usagi slowly but steadily matured into the woman she was always meant to be.

Nowadays, the chances of duping Usagi were next to nil.

'_I must be a better actress than I thought_,' mused Minako. "What about you," she asked, glad now that she got away from interrogation Scot-free. "What's on your mind?"

Her friend sighed, before she saw Usagi leaned on the bathroom counter. "Seiya…He, he looks nice. I mean…He looks fine," Usagi said in a low voice, "Right?"

Minako's hand stilled from their action of brushing her hair. Slowly, Usagi turned around and met her eyes in the reflection of the mirror.

"I mean," Usa said, a look of guilt slightly visible in her gaze, "It was nice…to see him again. All of them, in fact." She emphasized the 'all', her eyes going downward and no longer meeting Minako's stare.

The Senshi of Love and Beauty felt foreboding shot through her system like quicksilver. Her eyes still staring at Usagi's reflection, she carefully spoke her next words. "Yes," Minako's voice was steady and just as low as Usagi's had been. "It was nice to see all three again, princess."

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	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N**__: I am actually unsure how to start this…Hmnn, well, first the obvious (though I have stated this in the first chapter), this story have Seiya for a leading man. If you are - in any way – a strict canon fan of Mamoru-Usagi, there is the big chance you will not like this story._

_From some reviews I have gotten from you guys (I am grateful for getting reviews, let that be cleared) there is a misunderstanding of the direction of my story. While I am more known for my Mamoru-Usagi stories, in no way would I box myself to that particular pairing. There are too many good plots for Usagi being paired with Diamond, even Yaten. Do not get me wrong. I love Mamoru. He was and always will be, first love._

_But the Stars arc gave me a contender for my affection for the Baka. Kou Seiya will always have a very dear spot in my stories. I have stated it in '__**One Day'**__ and I will state it again here. Before fan fiction I was slowly but surely crossing to the Seiya-Usagi fan club. But reading stories from __**Lilac Summers**__ and __**Princess Destiny**__ gave me a new appreciation for Mamoru which prompted me to post the stories you have been reading now._

_And now that I have posted them, I see nothing wrong in posting my other stories that are not Mamoru-Usagi related. __**My one wish is this**__: Please never request any illogical twist like Mamoru turning evil, getting killed, etc. for no apparent reason but simply because you hated the guy. I HATE IT when characters start acting OOC. I would FLAME stories like that except I was raised to be courteous. Same goes for a Mamoru-Usagi flick with Seiya acting all mean and not himself. What in heaven's name is wrong with those writers? It never made sense to me. If you hate a character so much, then why bother to add him/her in your story? _

_Ranting done, here is the next chapter._

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**Counterfeited Love**

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_Choose your love, and then love your choice._

'_Who was it that said_ 'They do not love that do not show their love' _Because who ever it was,_' thought Tsukino Usagi, '_it was a very good argument to make_.'

She sighed, a bit sad, a tad blue, and a great deal in doubt. Love, for all the problems that it had caused on the poor girl, was still the mysterious force of eons past. And love had caused a great amount of problems for the reincarnated Moon princess. Not to mention the many heartbreaks and let downs she had to go through.

If it was possible, she would shove love out of her system and pretty much live alone, surrounded by friends and NO lovers what so ever.

"Mina-chan," she asked her friend, "what the heck is love, anyway?" She looked questioningly at her friend, expression hopeful. Growing up and with no more bad guys to fight had given the rest of the Scouts time to pursue their many interests. Usagi had cheerfully told them to follow their dreams and practically forced the Inner Guardians to go and experience new things. Ami had gone to Germany to further her studies, Rei had gone on a sabbatical to cleanse her spirits, and Makoto went to France to study cooking.

Aino Minako, however, stayed.

It was a curious thing. Usagi had cajoled and whined, asking for the reason why Mina had not taken the chance to be normal and Minako had simply looked at her and said, "What, staying and going to college in Japan is not being normal?"

Good point.

But still, there was a mystery behind her reason; one that Usagi knew involved her. It always involved her, one way or the other.

'_When had it not?_' the girl thought resentfully. Her blue eyes were clouded and a frown marred her features. '_It seems that everything that happened was all because of me, either directly or indirectly._'

That thought sucked. No girl wanted to be blamed for the destruction of the world.

Minako saw the kaleidoscope of emotions that appeared on her friend's face. She grimaced and started picking on the blades of grass underneath them as they sat on the ground of the park, a week after the return of the Three Lights. "I really have no clue, Usa."

Usagi gave her a look of disbelief. "I thought you were supposed to be the Goddess of Love and Beauty?"

That was answered with a snort. "Oh, puleeeaaasssseeee," Minako whined. "I don't mean to sound mean, but did you really believe all that junk I sprouted in my speeches way back then? If so, I hasten to ask, why am I still single and a virgin if I was even remotely borderline Goddess of Love?"

Her friend's face turned beet red. "Minako-no-hentai!" Usagi screeched. "What does having a boy friend have anything to do with being a virgin?"

Usagi was shoved playfully, causing her to topple backward. "Usa-chan! Are you telling me you have yet to do the deed with Mamoru?"

"Baka!" Usagi's hand clamped down on Minako's mouth. "Couldn't you have just sky written that in the air? I don't think your voice was loud enough to be heard by the entire Juuban City." She glared at her Guardian, a look of mild irritation now on her face.

Mina bit the hand that was blocking her mouth.

"OWWWW!"

"Serves you right!" Mina said, not the least bit repenting her action. Her nose was touched and wiggled playfully and her face was puckered comically "I couldn't breathe because you were blocking my nose as well."

She watched Usagi hop up and down nursing the bitten hand. When the pain had become manageable, the Moon princess gave Minako a look that could kill. "What ever. Look, can you at least give me your idea of what love should be?"

Blue eyes turned soulful and dreamy. "Love is a many splendour thing," Minako sighed.

Usagi rolled her eyes on that one. "Oh that was original…Not! Really, Mina, I'm serious. I really want to know what love is."

"Why?"

"Huh?"

Minako stared, blue into blue, face crafty. "Why do you want to know what love is? And why would you be asking this now when out of all of the girls, you are the one with the soul bound love? Shouldn't you know what love is, eh, Serenity?" Minako raised her eyebrows at this point, her pointing finger poking Usagi's chest.

Her friend swatted the finger away. "Don't call me that," Usagi said with a hint of sadness. "Anou…it's just, these past years…" she let her sentence slowly drop to silence.

The Senshi of Love and Beauty felt a juicy gossip hanging like a forbidden fruit between her and her friend. "Well? Tell, tell," she prompted.

Usagi frowned and felt a guilty feeling slowly coming over her. Should she tell? Would Minako understand? Cerulean blue eyes turned toward the blonde and she smiled because it felt like she was looking at a distorted reflection of herself.

With a sad voice, Usagi decided to be brave and seek the confidence of her Guardian. "I'm afraid you see. It has always been a fear of mine, but I always did my best to hold it back. You see, I figured if I keep it in the most shadowed corner of my heart, it would wither and die."

Minako said nothing. In her heart, though, she marvelled at the emotion behind Usagi's words. '_Never knew Usa-chan could be so deep_,' she thought in awe.

Usagi continued with her eyes downcast. "It always bothered me, because I always felt that maybe, just maybe, all I have is counterfeited love, Mina." She smiled, but it was a dead smile, and the emotions in her eyes were anything but happy thoughts. "Wouldn't it be grand, to have a love that was simply because you fell, and not because you mirrored a face from long ago?"

'_Oh, Usagi_,' her friend thought, _'how could you think that? And what exactly did you mean when you said 'counterfeited love'?_' But she did not say it out loud. Because saying it aloud would open a can of worms.

Minako was afraid of an opened can of worms. Both literally, and figuratively speaking.

Instead, Minako went on damage control mode, because she sensed that there was damage to be righted. "Usa, you do love Chiba-san, right?"

This time, Usagi's smile was true. "I do."

"So…why ask that question?"

The clouds overhead slowly drifted like billowing sails. It hid the bright sun and for a moment, the two young women were in a shadowed world. Usagi shifted on the blanket and tried to sit more primly, while Minako, too painfully aware that things were changing – that something was changing and that it would affect the future she knew – slowly lowered her body so that she was laying on the ground looking up the illuminated clouds.

"Usagi," she called, "why ask the question?" she repeated in a soft and sad voice.

Minako tensed, waiting for the answer. The play of shadows and light on the clouds was soothing and lulled her to sleep. Too many things were happening. She needed to rest and think later. She was not aware that her eyes were slowly getting heavy, nor did she realise that her breathing was becoming deep.

But Usagi saw.

Usagi saw that Minako was becoming drowsy and she stilled any movements so that her best friend would fall asleep quicker. Eventually, Minako did fall asleep, with her beautiful face turned towards the clouds, like an angel contemplating the best way to go back home.

And Usagi, feeling jealous of how easy it was for Minako to escape to the world of make believe, lay down, too, and willed sleep to come over her.

She never answered why the question needed to be asked.

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"Heaven is missing two angels," remarked Yaten.

Kou Seiya groaned. "That was beyond cheesy, Yaten. I would think you had more class that to speak such tired old lines."

The smaller of the two young men whacked his leader's head for emphasis before his finger pointed to two figures apparently asleep underneath a shedding Sakura tree. "Correct me if I am wrong, idiot, but are those two not what you would say an angel would look like?"

Seiya bit back an oath. Holding his smarting head, his dark blue eyes followed the direction Yaten's finger was pointing to. He felt his heartbeat accelerate like crazy the moment he spotted _her_. He had stayed away from any contact with the blonde after that night in the bar. Intoxicated, he had not been aware of whatever it was he had said when she and her friend had returned from the bathroom.

But Yaten and Taiki were pretty much in agreement that he, Kou Seiya, had made an utter ass of himself that night. And Yaten and Taiki being Yaten and Taiki, both refused to tell him what he had said that night that would caused them to remark about him being an ass.

Seiya would certainly never ask _her_ what he had said. He would certainly never brave the idea of even seeing _her _again.

This was why he slowly walked towards the two 'angels' his face inscrutable.

Because wanting something like never seeing her again, would never win over the fact that Seiya needed her to live. A moment with her was more than enough to sustain him through a lifetime. He loved her. He loves her still. She was his delicious torment.

Yaten smirked, and hands in his jean pockets, slowly followed his leader to where Usagi and Minako was sleeping.

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_**A/N**__: I will be in hiatus for one month so the next update would be roughly after that length of time. I apologize if anyone was offended with the first A/N but those are honest comments from me. That said, thank you for reading chapter three and, if possible, kindly leave a review. Please and thank you._

_Also, the quote Usagi spoke of was said by __**William Shakespeare**_


	4. Chapter 4

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**Counterfeited Love**

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'_Love is or it ain't. Thin love ain't love at all.'_

It was the most awkward of encounters.

Really, _really_ awkward of encounters.

Everyone still remembered that moment in the bar.

Everyone still wanted to know the things that were left unsaid.

It was heaven's providence that Yaten, cocky, I-don't-care Yaten, was present in that company. Otherwise, crickets would chirp, frogs would croak and Seiya, Usagi, and Minako would lapse in a silence so thick you could cut it with a dull bread knife.

"So," Yaten began, "How you guys doing?"

Aino Minako gave the young man a grateful look. "Fine, Yaten-kun," she squealed, pleased to have something to actually say. "Everyone is in college now – well, all the girls are, I mean, save for Hotaru-san since she is now in middle school. Even Usagi is in college!"

This comment earned her three things: A chuckle from Seiya, a smirk from Yaten and a hard whack in the head from her princess.

_WHACK._

"Usagi!" Minako screeched, "That hurt!"

Usagi blew a raspberry to her friend. "And that was uncalled for Mina! It's not like I was doomed to never go to college!" The other blonde girl gave Seiya and Yaten an evil glare. "Stop laughing! And as for you, I swear, Mina, sometimes it's like Rei-chan never left with you taking over her place of insulting my every accomplishment."

"Calm down, Odango."

The Moon Princess turned around and gave Seiya a look meant to make him wither and die. "STOP CALLING ME ODANGO!" She stomped her foot for emphasis, gold hair flying everywhere.

The young man gave Usagi a pat on the head. "You haven't changed have you?" He sat down near the woman he loved. "…I like that, methinks."

Minako plastered a brittle smile on her lips when she saw how close Seiya was to Usagi. _'Oh, Seiya, not too close, please. Not now, not ever.'_ "So, what about you guys? How is everything back home?"

Yaten answered that question, his own eyes glowing with memories of his home planet. "It's rebuilding nicely. The Princess has everything under control and the people are now adjusting to the new lifestyle."

"Eh, what do you mean by that, Yaten-kun?" asked Usagi. The girl was nervously eyeing Seiya's hands which had steadily inched closer to her own. She wondered if she should move away, but a part of her really didn't want to. What harm could it bring, after all?

Yaten's silver head bowed down as a blush spread across his cheeks.

It was Seiya who answered the question. "He meant that people now have gotten over the shock of the Three Lights in male form," he said suavely, his fingers softly brushing Usagi's own, taking delight in the fact that she did not pull her hands back at the mere contact. "We sort of found being male while we were civilian was comfortable so we kept the appearance."

Mina watched as Seiya took the initiative and finally captured her princess' small hands in his own. _'Not good,'_ she thought, giving Usagi a panicked look. She still remembered Usagi's comments minutes before. _'I'm so sorry, Seiya, but my loyalty is to my Princess…and her Prince.'_ She didn't want to do this, she really didn't. Kami knew how much she felt saddened that Seiya had to fall in love with a girl already destined to love someone else.

But Mamoru was not just her friend.

He was her future liege lord as well.

And for all that her flaky attitude had always seemed at odds with her being head of the Inner Scouts, Aino Minako was loyal to the core. Not to mention deadly serious of carrying out her duties.

Making sure the future that Setsuna showed to them was carried out was one of those duties. _'Don't hate me, Seiya,'_ she pleaded silently. _'I am as much as tied by Destiny's prerogative as you are.'_

"You know," Minako said loudly, looking directly at the Star Light leader, "I never did figure out if you guys are male or female." Time to put an end to this flirting. "Oh, didn't Mamoru have a theory about these three, Usa?"

At the mention of the name Usagi snatched her hands away as if she was touched by something repulsive. "Gomen, Minako…I forgot what it was," Usagi whispered in a flustered tone, her eyes looking away, her face becoming ashen. _'Mamoru_,' Usagi felt like she had just cheated on the man she had loved for more than a thousand years. _'Think always about him and how much you love him.'_

The two men gave Minako a small smile. Yaten was not comfortable with Mamoru seeing that he had never really had actual contact with the man, and Seiya…well, Seiya had his own reasons for not wanting any association with Chiba Mamoru. Now was hardly the right time to bring his name out loud. In fact, to be perfectly honest, Seiya would _love_ it if his name was never brought about, period.

Still, their Princess's orders were clear. Make sure that a strong alliance would be forged between their planet and that of Earth.

Earth.

The planet where one day, Chiba Mamoru would reign as King.

'_With my Usagi,'_ thought Seiya, a dark scowl slowly forming on his face. "So, what was the theory then?" he asked Minako, glaring at the blonde for cutting short his moment of bliss. His hands still tingled and he could still feel the softness of Usagi's hands on it.

Minako gave him a glare of her own, seeing that she had still yet to forgive him that stolen kiss and that stolen touch from Usagi-chan. "Angels," she stated. "Mamoru-kun said something about you guys reminding him of angels. Entities without any real gender. Just are." _'But may the devil take you, Seiya_,' she added silently, _'For adding this complication to something that should have been smooth sailing to our future.'_

Yaten raised a silvery brow. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

The leader of the Senshi gave Yaten a patient smile. "Here, in Earth, we have beings called angels. They were supposed to be God's highest beings, and are in male form, but are not male."

"So…they are female?" Yaten asked slowly, still unsure how if he liked the analogy.

"Iie," said Minako. "They are very handsome 'men' with no genders. They were neither male, nor female but they are always traditionally depicted male. It is only now that angels are being commonly associated with female since ancient descriptions illustrate them with a slight feminine aura."

"Not always," interjected Usagi. She had been listening to the explanation while her thoughts had drifted to other things. She remembered fully Mamoru's theory and thought – nay, believed - that the explanation bore some kennel of truth. "Angels are males. There are four hierarchies to them and two of the lower hierarchy were the one's sometimes painted with slight female features."

Seiya sensed a sadness coming out of Usagi. _'Is she thinking about Mamoru again? Why is it that all he can seem to do is make my Odango sad?'_ "Well," said Seiya, giving Yaten a wink, "as long as they are handsome, then I really see no problem being likened to one of them."

His comrade chuckled, already agreeing to the comment made by his leader. "What do you think, Minako? You agree with us being angels?"

He waited for the reply, knowing he could always count on Minako to give an entertaining comment. It was a surprise to see her suddenly frowning though and with a grim look on her lovely countenance. Yaten followed Minako's line of sight, saw what had caught her attention and felt like hitting Seiya for being too obvious.

Kou Seiya's hands were slowly but surely once again slowly inching towards Usagi's. He knew he shouldn't. He knew it was the wrong move to make.

He realized he didn't care.

'_Seiya,'_ Yaten thought angrily, _'What the hell is it that you think you are doing?_' Nothing good will come out of this, he knew that. His Princess had drilled to Seiya the importance of keeping good camaraderie between the would be Earth leaders and their own. What Seiya was doing was making sure that order was never to be carried out.

'_Not freaking good_,' Yaten thought gloomily. He couldn't blame Seiya though. _'He really loves her. Ah, shit,_' he grimaced and gave Minako a look '_Do something, you stupid girl!'_

Minako glared back as if it was his entire fault.

As for Usagi…

The blonde stood up abruptly, bowed politely to her three companions and gave a fleeting smile. "Gomen-nasai, minna," she murmured, eyes never once straying anywhere near Seiya's piercing blues. "I have to go now…Mamo-chan and I have a date this afternoon and I want to get ready."

She didn't wait for a reply, instead giving a little wave and smiling apologetically at Yaten. "Take care of Mina for me, okay? She can do a whole lot of trouble when left with her own devices."

With those words, she left, her own hands still tingling where Seiya's had held it.

xxxx**xxX**-**Xxx**xxxx

_A/N: …And end._

_Like I said, I hate OOC in stories unless justified by the author. In this story I will keep every interaction credible with the romance part brought out in a convincing manner. No sudden declarations and over played out Lothario moments. Next chapter to be posted in a week or so._

_Also, know that I have two new stories for Seiya/Usagi to be posted soon. One will be an AU and one will be a semi-AU with canon SM. (Angelic themes in one, pure Comedy/Romance in the other)._

_Kindly leave a review so I would know your thoughts about the story, please and thank you._


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